. >> sreenivasan: senate minority leader mitch mcconnell echoed that complaint. in a statement, he said, "today, they took a step backward and significantly closer to the cliff." conversely, white house spokesman jay carney charged republicans failed to provide any details on what they could tolerate in the way of tax increases. >> the president has always engaged in this with real numbers. when you talk about flexibility on revenue, all we've heard so far and it's welcomed, don't get me wrong, but we've heard that yes, revenue on the table but we need more than that. >> sreenivasan: away from the microphones, there were reports of possible movement. an account in the journal "politico" said the contours of a deal are emerging. the report cited unnamed sources who said the deal could include $1.2 trillion in tax increases over ten years. it also said entitlement programs, mainly medicare, will be cut by no less than $400 billion. and on the sidelines, the president hosted his defeated rival, mitt romney, at a private lunch today. mr. obama travels to suburban phi